A to Z

This A to Z list will point you in the right direction to finding more information about the entitlements or services you might receive once you are
a pensioner. You can also look up pension options open to you if you are planning or reviewing your retirement income.

A to F

Additional State Pension: additional State Pension, also known as State Second Pension, is paid in addition to the basic State
Pension. Until April 2002, it was usually known as the State Earnings Related Pension (SERPS) pension and depended solely on the National
Insurance contributions you paid as an employee. From April 2002, State Second Pension reformed SERPS to provide a better additional State Pension
for low and moderate earners, and to extend access to include certain carers and long-term disabled people. You may get an additional State Pension
even if you do not get any basic State Pension.

Age Positive: Age Positive is the Government's campaign to tackle age discrimination and promote the business benefits of age diversity
in the workplace. For a free copy of Age Diversity at Work, A Practical Guide For Business phone 08457 330360 or visit www.agepositive.gov.uk for
more information.

Age-Related Personal Allowances: A personal allowance is the amount of income you can receive without having to pay tax. Everyone
with an income gets a personal allowance. However, if you are aged 65 or over, as long as your income is below a certain limit, your tax-free allowance
will be more generous. Your income could include pensions, salary and interest on savings. Find out more about age-related personal allowances.

Budgeting Loans: If you or your partner have been getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance for at least 26
weeks and you need help with certain expenses that are hard to pay out of your regular income, you can apply for a Budgeting Loan. These loans are
interest-free. You will need to agree with your local social security office how and when you pay back your loan. The Jobcentre Plus website has more
information on budgeting loans

Caring for others: Help is available if you are a carer. The government is making it easier to
access information and services thorugh a website called Directgov. It provides information for carers in areas such as employment, education,
support services, rights and money matters. Find
more information for carers on the Directgov website

Christmas Bonus: The Christmas Bonus is a tax free payment made to customers who are present or ordinarily resident in the UK
or any other EU Member State and who are entitled to receive one or more qualifying benefits, including State Pension and Pension Credit in the first
week of December. The Department of Work and Pensions website has more
information on the Christmas Bonus

Claim forms: To claim for entitlements, you can read
or print a range of claim forms from the resource centre on this website, in Adobe Acrobat/Portable Document File (PDF) format.

Direct Payment: This is the way state pensions and
benefits are paid. Now that order books are no longer in use, your money
is paid
straight into the account you choose. For more information about direct
payment, call your local pension centre on 0845 6060265. If your circumstances
change, for instance if you change your address, contact the office that
pays your pension or benefits.

energywatch: is the independent watchdog for all gas and electricity consumers. energywatch provides free help and advice on all
gas and electricity matters. It recently launched a campaign to increase the number of eligible people signed up for the free services under the Priority
Service Register. For more information call energywatch on 0845 906 0708 (typetalk 18001 0845 906 0708) or visit
the energywatch website.

Financial Services Authority (FSA): Offers general information about financial services and products. You
can phone 0845 606 1234. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. Calls are charged at local rates
See www.fsa.gov.uk for more information